The town is looking into the possibility of changing the sidewalk bump-outs in front of Gallery of Floors and Suzanne's & Jenny's on 50th Avenue, but chief operating officer Doug Wagstaff isn't guaranteeing changes will be made. Or, if changes are made, what those changes will be.
The issue came up during the monthly Uptowne Olds committee meeting in town hall chambers last week.
Wagstaff was reporting on the town's analysis of a meeting on the issue held Nov. 4.
During that Nov. 4 meeting, Shawn Waite, who operates A Gallery of Floors, complained about the lack of parking resulting from that bump-out. He was so upset and frustrated he walked out of the room.
“Are we still looking to do something to help him out?” Uptowne Olds committee chair Leon Durand asked Wagstaff last week.
Uptowne officials reiterated their concern that the bump-out there was a surprise to them when it was created. They had no idea that was going to happen. They say it has resulted in the loss of about three parking stalls.
Wagstaff said the bump-out ended up longer than town officials had anticipated, but it was created to increase safety for pedestrians.
“One of the recommendations that's coming from that is to ask the town to evaluate the bump-out at Gallery of Floors and Suzanne's & Jenny's,” Wagstaff said.
“As I indicated in that engagement, I can't make a commitment of what's going to be the result of that, but that was one of the pieces to that.”
“We were very cognizant of the fact that we didn't want to lose parking spaces on main street. That was the key part, because we have enough problems with parking without having to lose three parking stalls,” committee member Brian Thompson said.
Thompson noted plans are in the works to make more improvements to 50th Avenue later this year. He wondered if changes to the bump-outs could be made at that same time in order to create efficiencies and cut costs.
“If there are changes there. I can't make a commitment whether there will be a change there or not. But the commitment is that it's going to be assessed and addressed,” Wagstaff said, adding town officials will have to discuss the matter with the engineering firm they work with.
He said there are drains or grates in the area of the bump-out and that complicates the matter.
“Is it feasible or possible that somebody from Uptowne can sit in on that meeting?” Thompson asked.
“It might be, but to be frank, I don't think that's a role for Uptowne to play because there are some pieces that we have to look at to see why did it end up being slightly longer (than planned),” Wagstaff said.
A representative of Suzanne's & Jenny's said now that it's winter, people are parking in the bump-out area anyway because they're used to doing that.
Thompson said the committee wants the issue addressed and dealt with.
“We don't want it swept under the carpet. We want to make sure that it's looked at and brought back to us,” he said.
“And then if you can bring it back before you make a final decision and say, ‘this is what we're recommending,' and then we can at least take it to our members.”
"We don't want it swept under the carpet. We want to make sure that it's looked at and brought back to us." BRIAN THOMPSONMEMBER,UPTOWNE OLDS COMMITTEE
